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Index of Subjects Angus has a very good photo of a queen _Bombus impatiens_ posted. This is a species that was not present in Nova Scotia 20 years ago and is now one of the three most common species in urban, suburban and rural agricultural areas of mainland Nova Scotia. He mentions a smaller bee. My guess is that this was either a queen of a smaller bumble bee, perhaps _Bombus vagans_, one of the first workers of the year or another species of bee (there are more than 160 species documented and likely more than 200 that occur here). When the first queens emerge until the first workers emerge around now, there are only queens. There are no males at this time of year. This week or next the first small workers will emerge. They look like the queens but are much smaller. Numbers of workers will increase in the colony through the summer. In late summer (August through September depending on species) males are produced. They fly around, mate and then die. So there are males in August and September, by November mated queens are hibernating, all spring and summer there are only females (queens and workers) until the first males emerge in August. DBMcC DB McCorquodale Department of Biology, Cape Breton University, 1250 Grand Lake Rd., Sydney, NS B1P 6L2 david_mccorquodale @ cbu.ca 902-563-1260 Biological Survey of Canada (Terrestrial Arthropods) http://www.biology.ualberta.ca/bsc/bschome.htm Department of Biology, Cape Breton University http://www.cbucommons.ca/science/biology/ CBU Faculty Association Research News http://www.cbufa.ca/news/ -----Original Message----- From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Angus MacLean Sent: June 5, 2011 8:37 PM To: NatureNS@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: [NatureNS] Backyard Creatures In our Backyard at Coldbrook: 2 Twelve-spotted Skimmers (dragonfly) 1 Northern Crescent (butterfly) abt. 8 Bombus Impatiens Queens (Bee). (These are huge, over twice the size of the drones, one of which was also present). Here is a photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/58321572@N00/5802290794/in/photostream Also yesterday I posted some photos of Dragonflies, one of which I identified as a Maine Snaketail. It has been pointed out to me it is more likely a Beaverpond Clubtail (& after looking more closely at the shape of the thoracic stripes, I agree). Angus
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Index of Subjects